Our CSA started up again and it’s our fourth year as site hosts for Wimer’s Organics. Wow, time flies!  I wanted to share some tips as well as some must-have pantry items. The beginning of the CSA season is heavy on greens and I have found that sauteing and fresh salads are the quickest options for week night meals.

For collards, swiss chard, spinach, beet greens, kale, dandelion greens: saute them in a little bacon or pancetta, garlic, sliced onions, crushed red pepper and you are set. It only takes a few minutes and you can serve them with some whole wheat pasta or protein.

For arugula, baby spinach, romaine, red leaf lettuce, baby salad mix, green butter lettuce: make a simple salad with olives, cheese and a great dressing. (I love curly shards of Parmesan on top of an arugula salad!) To make my own dressing I keep it simple with dijon mustard, vinegar, salt, and good olive oil. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll add minced garlic and some herbs. Shake it all up in a small ball jar and store any leftovers in the refrigerator. I buy extra virgin olive oil from A Taste of Olive in West Chester, I was introduced to them by my friend Anne and I try to go back a couple times a year to stock up. They have great quality products so if you are in the area, check them out! If you are not up for making your own salad dressing, I highly recommend Brianna’s Real French Vinaigrette (it has a picture of an artichoke on the front). My friend Leya introduced it to me last summer and I love the tangy citrus flavor.

I highly suggest prepping everything the night you pick up your share. Get a great salad spinner and wash and chop the greens right away for ease throughout the week. On the weeks we don’t do this, we don’t go through all the vegetables and feel really guilty. We store everything in large tupperware containers or you could use gallon sized zip lock bags.

Any tips or pantry items that you like to use for your CSA box? Please share!

Up next: CSA Recipe Binder